معرفی
Renée Umstattd Meyer is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research in Robbins College at Baylor University, where she has been a faculty member since 2010. She holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of South Carolina and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the psychology of physical activity at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her academic career includes prior faculty service at the University of Alabama (2006–2010).
Education:
- BSE in Community Health, Baylor University (2000)
- MS in Health Promotion, University of Mississippi (2002)
- PhD, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina (2005)
- Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Psychology of Physical Activity, University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana (2006)
Her research centers on promoting health and active living, particularly in underserved rural communities. She employs mixed-methods and community-engaged approaches to study physical activity, sedentary behavior, and health equity. Her work focuses on policy, systems, and environmental changes to improve access to healthy living opportunities. She emphasizes cultural context and sustainable community partnerships to advance public health outcomes.
Dr. Umstattd Meyer leads the Rural Hub of the CDC-funded Physical Activity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (PAPREN) and is involved in initiatives such as the Activating Rural America Project and the Physical Activity Research Center (PARC). She has developed practical tools like the Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) and guides for implementing Play Streets in rural areas.
Her scientific recognition includes being a Fellow and Past-President of the American Academy of Health Behavior, a multidisciplinary society of health behavior scholars.
- Fellow of the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAAHB)
- Past-President of the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAAHB)
She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in behavioral health and stress management. Her leadership as Associate Dean for Research reflects her ongoing contributions to advancing research in public health at Baylor University. She has secured funding from federal, foundation, and local sources to support her community-based research initiatives.
Dr. Umstattd Meyer is actively involved in research teams and collaborates with communities, practitioners, and policymakers to translate research into practice. Her lab and project teams focus on rural health innovation, active living promotion, and policy evaluation, particularly through the PAPREN Rural Hub and related outreach efforts.
